--The seventeenth century brought one of the most celebrated dances
in our history... The Minuet (aka Menuet).
The minuet was originally derived from the Branle
of Poitou, France and was to capture
every >King and >Queen
and their court for over 150 years. The Minuet was the successor
to the Courante. The name Minuet comes
from the small steps (menu=small)
that are taken during the dance.

-- Most dances of the time had exaggerated
steps and movements, the Minuet had very small steps and the movement
was more on the graceful side. When the pupil knew the steps of
the

Courantewell, when he could turn his feet properly and control his movements,
he was initiated into the mysteries of the graceful and ceremonious
Minuet, which said "took three months to learn," and
of which there were endless varieties.

--In its originality the minuet was a lively, spirited dance, (done
in moderate triple rhythm) done around the room in the shape
of an S, Later refined to a Z, and even later enlarged and followed
up by the Gavotte until it was presented
to Paris in 1650. After, it developed
into a slow and stately dance, very, very elegant and enjoyed
a simplicity that most other dances did not share and became the
known as the "Walking Dance".
Kissing was a big enjoyment of the dance as dancers were encouraged
to kiss!, which made the Minuet somewhat seductive (For that
period of time).

-- During the time of then King
Louis
XIV (1638-1715), State balls became very
elegant affairs with the Minuet being termed the "Queen
of dances". The "Menuet
de la cour" was first danced by Louis XIV, at Poitou
France, in 1653. In 1662 Louis founded the: Royal
Academy of Dancing, with dance master "Pierre
Beauchamp" (1635-1705) in charge, Beauchamp did very
little to excel this dance and it took a dancer by the name of
>Louis Pécourt (1655-1729) to
make it the first dance of court in
France, from there on it was the Big Cheese!

-- The Minuet was more of an attitude
and mixer than a real dance, but a dance it was. Proper dress
and courtesy was highly encouraged. After a while the dance became
so dull, it was seen as merely a way to show off your courtesy
and etiquette skills. Women as well as men would eagerly ask the
other for dances. Men would dance with swords attached to the
waist and danced in their awkward boots.Brawls
and duels were frequent and the heavy clanking of armor on the
dance floor was annoying. Women would sometimes wear riding habits,
but the "Master of Ceremonies" Beau Nash (1674-1761)
at Bath (an English Resort)
would change all this and add what is known as the "Code
of Etiquette at Bath" (rules for conduct).
Included in these code's would be the banishment of all swords,
along with the banishment of the exuberant country dances, while
the French dances would become the only known dances in these
"Polite Society's" programs. These rules were
the start of proper dance etiquette we still use somewhat today.

-- The music is in a 3/4 Waltz-March
time signature, and the tempo rather slow (56 m.m.). It
was customary to make four step movements coincide with six syllables
(beats) and for teaching six syllables. The music is very
"Majestic" in manner. The dance terms for the dance
are the same as what is used in ballet (Jete',
Pas, en avant etc). The Minuet is an "Open position
Couples" dance.
Originally there were only four Minuets, 1) The Queen's Minuet or Le Minuet
de la Reine, 2) Le Minuet de Dauphin, 3) Le Minuet d'Exaudet, 4) Le Minuet de la Cour - (still
popular today in certain circles).

-- In some of the old examples of
the Galician Sarao dance, a king
or queen was selected from among the dancers; this dignitary opened
the ball and led the figures. Afterwards a Bastonero, (literally
a staff-bearer) was the master of the ceremonies, who was
appointed to regulate the ball, choose
the couples, and so on. Every Sarao opened and closed with a minuet.
The Sarao is a Carnival game/dance, dating from the sixteenth
century and is a lengthy dance, resembling the Cotillion
in so far as it includes a number of figures, and may last a whole
evening. It was given after a banquet, generally to amuse the
Court.

-- The Minuet has been spelled differently
at different times as well as different parts of the world, this
happened with most dances of the time. The English called it --
The Minuet; The Italians--il Minuetto; and the Germans--die Menuett.
The Quadrille usually
followed the Minuet.

-- George Washington's (1732-1799)
favorite dance was the Minuet, Washington would dance with Betsy
Hamilton (wife of the secretary of treasury) who
was said to be his favorite dance partner.

Misc. Research Words that may be related ... to help your searches

Affairs

Baroque

French
Revolution

Stately

Armor

Ceremonies

Georgian

Swords

Assemblies

Courtly

Kings
and Queens

au
courant

Dance
Masters (Instructors)

Mask

Balls

Dancing
Swords

Scherzos

Basic
Step ...

There
are seven motions employed in the minuet, named as follows: Pas
Marche, Pas Balancé, Pas Grave, Pas
Menuet, Pas Bouré, Pas Sissoné, and Pas de Basqae Pirouette
(The dance mainly consisted of):
The King and Queen would be at the top end of the floor and would
start the dance, other nobility would follow in the order of precedence.
At the end of the dance, a few couples would dance at the other
end of the floor at the kings command. The Minuet was preceded
by at least two bows, followed by:
1) An offering of the hand,
2) A salute to your partner,
3) A high step and a balance,
4) Courtly gestures,
5) Bows and curtsies,
6) and kissing here and there!!!
(The posture/ attitude was that of nobility).